52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 48: Second To Last: Reginold F. Lancaster

I am working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I’m looking forward to writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

This week’s challenge is to write about something that was second to last. I thought I’d pick someone from a large family that I haven’t written about before.

Reginold F. “Reggie” Lancaster was the next to the last child of George Wilson Lancaster and Martha Jane Polly. He was born 21 Jul 1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona Territory.[1] He had one younger brother, Jesse, and four older siblings, William Carl, Lonnie O, Margaret Rose, and George Eldon.[2]

When he was five years old, his parents divorced.[3] His father had been gone a year, having moved back to Texas. A year later, his mother married Noah F. Parks, who had been working on the ranch.[4] Later, two half-sisters, Daisy and Rosy, joined the family.

Reggie continued to grow up in Maricopa County and the family moved to Imperial County, California before 1910. He married Eda Pearl De Lartique Los Angeles 30 July 1920.[5] Eda’s real name was Ralston and she was an actress.[6] They lived in Corcoran, Tulare County in the 1920s. Reggie was a farmer like his brothers.[7]  They later moved to Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County, where he continued as a farmer. He was registered as a Democrat and his wife a Republican.

By 1940, they were living in Santa Margarita, still in San Luis Obispo County, and Reggie was working for a water works construction as a carpenter. He owned his home and it was valued at $2000.  He had worked 45 weeks the previous year, making $600, plus he had other income.[8] His other income came from ranching.[9]

Reggie, at 54 years old, was five feet, eight inches tall, weighed 153 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion.[10] During the 1940s, he and Eda registered in the Progressive party.

In his later years, he continued ranching in Atascadero. The San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram had an obituary for him, 26 November 1962.

Atascadero—Reginald F. Lancaster, 77, a native of Arizona and resident of Atascadero for 30 years, died early Sunday in San Luis Obispo after a short illness.
        Mr. Lancaster was born July 21, 1885.
        He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Eda Lancaster of Atascadero, and a sister, Mrs. Rose White of Fresno.
        Funeral Services will be held Wednesday at 10:00 a.m in the Chapel of the Roses with the Rev. Lee Goodwin, associate pastor of the Atascadero church of the Nazarene officiating. Burial will be in Atascadero district cemetery.

His wife, Eda lived another eleven years, dying 16 January 1973.[11] A search at FindAGrave found no memorials for either of them in San Luis Obispo County. I will send for Reggie’s death certificate to learn more about his burial.

Next to last and the last Lancaster child of
George W. Lancaster & Marta J Polly

I have one photo of Reggie with his younger brother, Jesse. Years ago I corresponded with another member of the family who descended from Jesse. But I have no photos of him as an adult.. Did he look like my great-great-grandfather, William Carl Lancaster, his brother? They had no children, so no descendants to pass down photos.

To do list: Send for the death certificate of Reginold Lancaster. Also discover the land records in San Luis Obispo. The index is online at the recorder’s website, but the actual records need to be ordered. His wife, Eda, did more transactions than he did.


[1] Maricopa County, Arizona Territory, Birth Index, Reginal Lancaster, 1887, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : 27 Nov 2018).
[2] For older children see 1880 U.S. census, Rockwall Co, Texas, pop. sched., Rockwall Village, ED 30, p. 590, dwel/fam 2, George W. Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995). For the younger children see Pima County, Arizona Territory, Superior Court records, SG 8, case 2250, Lancaster  v. Lancaster, decree 23 Dec 1893; Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix.
[3] Pima County, Arizona Territory, Superior Court records, SG 8, case 2250, Lancaster  v. Lancaster, decree 23 Dec 1893; Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix.
[4] Maricopa County, Arizona Territory, Marriage Licenses & Certificates, RG 107, SG 8 Superior Court Records, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Phoenix, 1893, Noah F Parks & Mattie J Lancaster, p 405.
[5] Los Angeles Marriage Index, 1920, p. 4, De Lartique to Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 Nov 2018).
[6] 1920 U.S. census, Los Angeles Co, California, pop. sched, Los Angeles, ED 152, p 22a, Flora Ralston household, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995). Edna D. De Lartigue was 38 yrs old, an actress, and living in the household.
[7] California Voter Registration, Tulare County, Reggie Lancaster, 1922, 1924, 1926, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995).
[8] 1940 U.S. census, San Luis Obispo Co, California, pop. sched, Santa Margarita, ED 40-34, sht 8b, fam 195, Regonald F Lancaster, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995).
[9] California Voter Registration, San Luis Obispo County, Reggie Lancaster, 1940, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995).
[10] World War II Draft Registration, Local Board 136, Paso Robles, California, Reginald F. Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Jul 1995).
[11] “California Death Index, 1940-1997,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 Nov 2018), Eda P. Lancaster, 1973, San Luis Obispo County.

Copyright © 2018 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family

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